Tag: body

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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To Delight in Holy Communion

Precious Savior,
Whether the burden of guilt I carry over my sin is heavy or light, deepen my love for the privilege of receiving the Lord’s Supper to lift that burden entirely. When I acknowledge and confess my sin in humble penitence, you invite me to remember the dear price you paid for that sin, along with its guilt and shame. In a miraculous way that defies intellect and demands faith, you bring together your body and blood with bread and wine, so that what I receive with my mouth also restores my soul. And, sharing this sacred meal with fellow believers united by the same confession of faith, conviction of sin, and confidence of forgiveness, edifies and encourages us collectively. Therefore, gather together the communion of saints regularly for Holy Communion, so that through their proclamation of your death, you refresh their spirits and rejuvenate them to faithfully carry out their Christian calling. Help me to hold this blessing close to my heart and treasure it always.  

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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To Love and Care for My Body and Life

Loving Father,
While I acknowledge that I am fearfully and wonderfully made, I must confess that I do not always reflect that in how I take care of – or rather neglect – my body. Indeed, if the attention and care I give to my physical health serve to indicate how much I value my body and life, I am embarrassed to admit the conclusion anyone would have to draw. I am sorry. Forgive me.

Thankfully, that is exactly what you do: forgive me. I do not live under shame or guilt, but under grace. You do not delight in finding fault, but in forgiving. The new life you daily call me to live in through my baptism is not merely spiritual, but flows into the blessing of physical as well. Since you redeemed not just my soul, but my body as well, steer me away from viewing it pessimistically or speaking of it pejoratively, and elevate how I view my own body. Whatever size and shape it is, help me to embrace and love it as you do – a gift to be cared for. Instill in me a healthy mindset that celebrates progress over perfection regarding exercise, working out, and anything that seeks to avoid being overly sedentary. Thank you for my body and life, and for the godly desire to treasure and care for them.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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For Jesus’ Ascension

Ascended Savior,
On this day of Ascension, forty days after we celebrated your resurrection from the dead on Easter Sunday, we remember and rejoice that you returned to your heavenly throne. You did not abandon your Church, but rather returned to rule over all things on her behalf. You oversee world events so that disaster and catastrophe must bend to your will to serve the good of your people. You utilize even the persecution of your people to build your Church into a magnificent temple of living stones, with you yourself as the Living Cornerstone. From your seat in heaven, you direct and govern the affairs of your Church, using her to bless and save many in this fallen and lost world. Keep the body of the Church faithful to you, its Head, by standing with steadfast hearts and ironclad wills on your Word that endures forever.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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For Rest

Loving Lord,
We are always on the go. We treat every gap in our schedule as a blank space that needs to be filled. We can’t stand missing out on the experience someone else (or someone else’s kids) had. Just one more thing. Just a little bit more. We are too easily deceived by the lie that we can pack 30+ hours into a 24-hour day.

We need rest – in our body, in our mind, in our spirit. Maintaining a breakneck pace in life takes its toll on our bodies. We cut out sleep and settle for a diet that leaves us undernourished. Our racing minds have lost the ability to unwind and unravel during even the slightest bit of downtime because our screens enslave us. Spiritually, you are often the last thing we try to squeeze in, and by that time, we’ve already exhausted ourselves. 

Forgive us. Refresh us. Renew us. Reframe our thinking so that we start with you and fit everything else after, for only in you will we ever find the kind of soul rest the world simply cannot provide.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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For All Those Serving in Your Church

Lord of the Church,
We are grateful for every soul who serves in the church. Thank you for the thorough theological and ministerial training our called workers have received. Let their leadership gifts serve to guide congregational ministry while also equipping others to lead. Thank you for dedicated lay leaders who willingly use their gifts and give of their time in ministry, offering up a pleasing sacrifice to you through their ministry. Thank you for those in the church who voluntarily tend to the daily needs of their congregations, honoring and glorifying you with their talents and abilities and serving their brothers and sisters in Christ. Bless called workers, lay leaders, and all willing volunteers with a harmonious spirit and the guidance of your Spirit to empower their congregations to faithfully sow the seed of your Word. Grant them joy and satisfaction in their work, and fulfill them with the privilege of giving themselves fully to you in their service. Strengthen our congregations and the whole body of Christ as each part eagerly excels at its work.      

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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For the Gift of Holy Communion

Lord Jesus,
On this Thursday of Holy Week, we thank you for the sacred Supper you instituted. By it, we commemorate your death and recall the significance of the sacrifice you made for all. Together with the bread and wine, the very body and blood we receive in Holy Communion take us back to the cross, where you secured our forgiveness and eternal salvation. By the blood you shed for us on Calvary, you still forgive and cleanse us through this miraculous Meal. Feed your church continually with this sacrament, strengthening and sustaining the weak and the strong. Lead believers everywhere to treasure the Lord’s Supper and receive it regularly. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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For a Healthy Body Image

Lord God,
Your Word assures us that we are fearfully and wonderfully made. While we marvel at the detail and design that went into creating mankind, the crown of your creation, we confess that we don’t always feel all that special. While women have traditionally struggled more with body image, men are not immune. Images of shirtless men sporting six packs or hitting the gym are widespread, and can leave those with dad bods discouraged and deflated. Lead guys to be realistic and reasonable about their physical appearances, and to be willing to share their struggles with others. Let us embrace taking care of our bodies as a natural part of our calling, and just one more way we can honor and thank you. Help us to view it as a privilege and not a pain, and let our worth be determined not by what we see in the mirror, but by remembering the price you were willing to pay to make us yours. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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To Be Mindful of My Physical Health on the Weekends

Gracious Lord,
Weekends can be challenging when it comes to my physical health. During the weekdays, when daily routines are in place, eating healthy and staying active or working out come more naturally. I find it easier to stay on track with my health goals when that structure is in place. Weekends, however, can throw off those healthy patterns and plans that are in place Monday through Friday.

Since my actions and behaviors follow my thinking, give me a healthy mindset leading up to and during the weekends. Keep me from viewing weekends as some sort of reward for good behavior during the week, where I can disregard healthy habits and good choices. Rather than seeing the weekend as a break to treat myself and indulge, give me a more balanced perspective to appreciate its flexibility and freedom, allowing me to enjoy the pleasures of food and drink in moderation. In place of regular workouts, let me find satisfaction in fun, active alternatives that keep me from remaining sedentary all weekend. Grant me also the contentment of allowing the weekend to provide my body and mind with the necessary rest and margin I need as well. 

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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To Care for My Body

Incarnate Christ,
I marvel that you took on a body to satisfy the law and secure my righteousness through your perfect life of obedience. But you didn’t stop there! You offered up that very same human body as the unblemished sacrifice for all sin on Good Friday. Finally, you brought that lifeless body back from the dead three days later, just as you promised. Now you oversee all things for my benefit in that glorious body until you reveal it again on the Last Day.

Through all of this work you redeemed not just my soul, but my body as well. Surely this shows how highly you regard your gift of a body that you entrust to all people! Let me have that same high regard for my body. Too often we think too little of our bodies, rather than viewing them as the holy temple with which you have blessed us. Help me to see my physical body as a means by which I honor and thank you, and to tend to it in a way that aligns with this view. Since I also love and serve others with my body, I want to care for it and manage my health in a way that allows me to function optimally for as many years as you grant me on earth.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen. 

DAILY PRAYERS FOR GUYS

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To Care for Your Gifts of Body and Life

Holy Father,
The Ten Commandments are intended to be a blessing, not a burden. You have given us the precious gift of life, as well as marvelous bodies to carry out your will and your work in this world. While your grace and mercy compel us to protect your gift of life and to care for it, so often my own selfishness puts my body and life and the bodies and lives of others at risk. I neglect the care of my own body, disregarding what I eat, and making choices that put my health at risk. My body is a temple, and I dishonor you when I fail to properly care for it. And, while I may never have taken anyone’s life physically, since you view hatred toward others on the same plane as murder itself, I am guilty. 

You, on the other hand, valued life so much that you gave up the life of your only Son for the lives of all others. Having been spiritually raised up from the dead to this new life, now give me that same appreciation for life and the opportunities you give me to care for and to protect my own life and the lives of others. Help me to see and to embrace all the ways I can honor and serve you and others with my body and life.

In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.